EnduranceNet - the Internet media mixed in with all the Print and Broadcast professionals here at the Endurance City - will attend front and center. We even have a couple of questions that we are prepared to ask. We hope for reliance!!

Today has been the final preparations day. The riders/crews - the Organizing Committee - and all the 100s of people working on both permanent and temporary facilities. The opening ceremony will take place around the in timer gates. A large (200'x60'x30') grandstand has been erected. Swathed in black and facing outward onto the track. In front is an open space (maybe 200'x300') with a backdrop 4 rows of 10 (44 total) white tents. The mystery abounds as to what may be in the tents.

On the inside of the timer gates - a temporary low platform - covering the area where horse cooling will occur on race day. A miniature fort wall (with miniature towers) behind the low platform which is surrounded by a low RopeAndPost fencing.

All this must be removed from the facility, as Steph mentioned earlier, within 18 hours so that the facility can be used for it's intended purpose - the 2004 World Endurance Championships!

So back to the press conference since this is a media talking about media report! It will be held at the fabulous Burj Al Arab! On the top floor no less. I've heard that it cost's US$75 just to ride the elevator up the 321 meters to the top!. That the walls may be lined with gold! It will be some do for sure!

There are press people from all over the world here. All that I've met are smiling and happy, focused upon getting the story. It's really quite ... I was going to say "exciting", but that's not the right word and this IS the Internet. It's really quite journalistic!

Enough of the media talking about the media. I could go on with the print guys talking about the TV guys and the freelance guys talking about the ... I did get to cruise around the quarantine barns this morning right about the time most folks were out reviewing how their mounts had weathered the rain yesterday. The difficulty I heard of related to wet tack in the European barn. Nothing serious and certainly an opportunity to get everything out once more; just to make certain that it's all ready to go on Thursday!

Then I was off to Dubia to find what SEEMS to be the only FedEx office around here. To overnight an airplane ticket for yesterday to Buenos Aires delivery tomorrow! Some things in the endurance community are a bit hard to fathom and it's often better to just do the unexpected whenever it is asked.

More (and maybe more relevance??:) later, after the press conference were all the questions will be answered!!

john teeter